SX: Wilson Scores Emotional Victory At Anaheim 3

Dean Wilson grabbed his first win of the season Saturday in Anaheim, Calif. (Photo: Simon Cudby)

After dominating much of the day in Anaheim, Calif., Dean Wilson turned in a solid performance in the 250SX main event to grab his first victory of the 2014 Monster Energy Supercross season.

Wilson entered the night as the fastest qualifier – nearly one second clear of the field – and nabbed the win in his respective heat race before pulling off a victory in the 15-lap main. The Kawasaki-backed rider sat in second for much of the race until Cole Seely crashed out of the lead with three laps to go, moving Wilson to the point and ultimately the win.

“This win really means a lot to me,” said Wilson. “The race was shaping up to be exciting during those last few laps, but I received a break [when Seely crashed]. This is really emotional for me. I gained some good points and we still have some races left. I am going to come out and do my best at those races.”

Seely looked to be in control of the race after grabbing his second holeshot of the season. He held a comfortable lead over Wilson for the first 12 laps of the race, but would encounter issues while working through lapped traffic. On exit of the whoop section, the front-end of Seely’s Honda slipped out causing him to fall to the floor.

Rookie Cooper Webb’s third-place finish resulted in his second trip to the podium this season. Wilson’s teammate Justin Hill finished fourth with Anderson rounding out the top five.

On the surface, Anderson’s top-five finish appears to be a mediocre result for a rider who amassed three wins in the first four races. However, it was an impressive performance to salvage points.

Anderson was fighting his way through the field when a collision with Malcolm Stewart on Lap 5 caused him to crash, dropping him back to 11th. Two laps later, Anderson moved into eighth. The Rockstar Energy rider managed to grab three more positions in the remaining eight laps.